Minister Siyambalapitiya explains value of repeated recalling of ‘Mahinda Chintana’ aims

Repeated reminders of the goals of ‘Mahinda Chintana – Vision for the Future’ will go a long way in ensuring their fulfilment, said Telecommunication and Information and Communication Technology Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.

In any sphere of life, be it socioeconomic life or righteous living, ensuring the highest good in this world or the next, constant recalling to mind the aims involved helps one to achieve them. The Minister said so while addressing the staff at the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) after a tour of the different sections of ICTA recently.

Comparing his visit to that of visiting relatives in view of the New Year, the Minister said that it was opportune to remind ourselves of our goals. “The goals are clearly set out in the ‘Mahinda Chintana – Vision for the Future’. Making the country 75 per cent ICT literate by 2016, trebling the revenue from ICT by 2016 and ensuring that the benefits of ICT reach all are some of these.”

Achieving these goals successfully requires the cooperation of all, he asserted. “Wherever I go, I speak about these goals. I am reminded of an anecdote in my childhood days. A question cropped up in the mind of a youngster who used to visit the temple in his a village: ‘Why are pansil (five precepts) uttered several times?’ He took up courage to pose the question to the Chief Incumbent of the temple. The Prelate answered: ‘How many times are the precepts violated? If the precepts are never violated it would not be necessary to repeat them. But frequent reminder of the precepts will go a long way in the adherence to the fivefold precept.’ It is gladdening to visit ICTA. Having the best traits of the private sector and the public sector, it is a neat place compared to other Government organisations. But it is necessary to add to ICTA the confidence people have in a Government institution,” the Minister added.

Participating in this occasion Telecommunication and Information and Communication Technology Ministry Secretary Nimal A. Athukorala said: “A visit to ICTA is always a delightful exercise. ICTA is an institution where the staff is noted for their capabilities, high team spirit and noteworthy dedication. We are prepared to cooperate with it for the highest success of the e-Sri Lanka initiative. ICTA offers a good foundation for the improvement of different sectors via ICT including health, education and commerce.”

Welcoming the Ministry officials and other members of the audience, ICTA Chief Executive Officer Reshan Dewapura said that the visit of the Minister and Ministry officials to ICTA was a source of encouragement to ICTA.Recalling the earlier visits by the Minister, Dewapura said: “This is the third visit to ICTA by the Minister; the first one was when the Ministry website was launched about a year ago. The second one was when the mobile library for digital content called ‘Nenasara’ was launched. This third visit, simulating as the Minister said the traditional visit by relatives in the New Year in January or Avurudu in April, gives great encouragement in our march towards the fulfilment of the goals of the e-Sri Lanka initiative. ICTA staffs are fully dedicated to fulfil the great task entrusted to them and the trust placed in them under the e-Sri Lanka initiative for making the maximum benefits ICT reach all.”